Key die



Filed Dec. 3o. 1929 A. L. CARTER KEY DIE LEE- Patented Feb. 17,

UNITED STATES ARTHUR L. CARTER, or Kassie our, nissouztr- KEY DIEApplication filed December 30, 1929. Serial No. 417,580.

My invention relates to devices used in the production. of keyduplicates from blanks and one object is toprovide a device of thischaracter which is of simple and inexpensive con- 5 struction andwhereby duplicates may be quickly and accurately produced.

, A further object is to provide a device oi this character which may beused to advantage by locksmiths, managers of automobile 1 agencies, andothers who frequently have occasion to duplicate keys which havebecomelost and the codes, indicating the cut of the tumbler notches, areknown.

In order that the invention may be fully 15 understood, reference willnow be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. I is a detail perspective of the device.

Fig. 2- is a side elevation of the device with a key blank arrangedtherein preparatory to 20 having the initial notch cut in its margin.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device with the. key blank arrangedtherein preparatory to having the second notch cut in its margin. Fig. 4is a vertical sectional view of the device. 7

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of a plurality of spacingelements employed in carrying out the invention.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the key blank before any tumbler notcheshave been out in its bit.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the finished ke Fig. 8 is a verticalsection of a modified form of the device.

Referring in detail to the different parts, 2 designates one form of thedevice which consists of a rectangular body portion 3 provided at twoopposite margins with a suitable number of notches 4 and 6 which areintersected by parallel slots 8 and 10, respectively, extending throughsaid body portion 3. The notches a and 6 may be of equal depth, or theyniay'vary in depth as shown by Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, to correspondwith the notches of akey or keys which are to be duplicated.

For the convenience of'the user the notches 4; and6 are designated withsymbols corresponding with the code or codesof the keys to be duplicatedso that whena key of which thecode i's known has become lostaduplicatecan be readily and quickly produced with the aid of my device.The symbols may be in any suitable form, but in the present instance Ihave shown them in the form of numerals 2 to 5,inclusive.

- Assuming that th'ecode calls for the use of all the notches in theorder in which they areindicated in the drawing by the code numerals 2,3, 4 and 5, respectively, the operation as follows First the bitA of thekey blank B is insertedin the left end of the slot 8 until checked bythe bit shoulder C contacting with said. left end ofv the body 3.

When thus inserted, the upper margin of the bit projects into thenotches indicated bythe code numerals2 and 3 so that theinitial notchcan be accurately cut with a suitable tool such as a three cornered fileoperated in the notch spacing element 12, providedwith a slot 14,

is slipped over the bitA and back against the V shoulder C for thepurpose ofjproperly positioning the bit A longitudinally within thedevice to receive. the second notch which is formed therein byoperatingrthe file in the marginal notch bearing the code numeral 3. Thepartly completed blank is then removed from the slot 8 and a secondspacing element 12 isslipped into position against the firstspacing'element after which the device 2 is placed in a reverse positionto bring the notches indicated bythe code numerals i and 5 uppermost,whereupon the remaining notches may be cut in the bit A in the mannerabove indicated.

' During the foregoing operations the key blank B may be held in onehand, or ina vise, leaving the device 2 free to be changed to dif ferentpositions upon the bit A, and the operations above described can bevaried to con form to the different codes of keys to be duplicated.

In some instances it is necessary to produce duplicate keys with notcheson both of the longitudinal margins of the bit, so for this purpose Ihave provided the modified form of device disclosed by Fig. 8, in which2a designates the device as a whole, 3a the body portion having alongitudinal slot 8a which communicates with the notches 4a in onemargin and with the notches 6a in the opposite margin of the body 3a.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided adevice of the character described which is well adapted for the purposeintended, and while I have shown two forms of the invention I reserveall rights to such other forms as properly fall within the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s:

1. A device of the character described consisting of a body portionhaving slots extending therethrough and each adapted to receive a keybit, notches in one margin of said body portion and intersecting one ofsaid slots, and notches in another margin of said body portion andintersecting the other slot.

2. A device of the character described consisting of a body portionhaving a slot for the reception of a key bit, marginal notches in saidbody portion and communicating with said slot, and a spacing elementadapted to be placed upon the bit and between a shoulder on the latterand the adjacent side of the body portion.

3. A device of the character described consisting of a rectangular bodyportion having a slot for the reception of a key bit, marginal notchesin said body portion and communicating with said slot, and one or morespacing elements adapted to be placed upon the bit and between ashoulder on the latter and the adjacent side of the body portion.

4:. A device of the character described consisting of a body portionhaving parallel slots extending therethrough and each adapted to receivea key bit, notches in one margin of said body portion and intersectingone of said slots, and notches of different depths in another margin ofsaid body portion and intersecting the other slot.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

ARTHUR L. CARTER.

